Placket-closer.



R. S. VALENTINE.

PLAGKET CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1902.

904,027. Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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ROBERT S. VALENTINE, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

PLACKIET-CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed May 23, 1908. Serial No. 434,679.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. VALENTINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of IIenI-ico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Placket-Closers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in placketclosers for the plackets for ladies skirts, and the primary object is to provide a device of. the character described which will be extremely simple in construction and inexpensive in manufacture, and which will effectively accomplish the objects for which it is devised.

A further object is to provide a placket closer which may be easily and readily secured in applied position without serious alteration of the usual skirt pattern or construction.

To the ends stated, my invention consists in the improved placket closer to be fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein Figure 1 is a view of the inside of the placket portion of a skirt showing my invention in applied position. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the placket closer detached from the skirt. Fig. 3, is a view of the parts separated from each other. Fig. 1 is a seetional view through an improved locking washer employed for locking certain parts of the device together. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the pivoted connection employed for uniting certain of the parts.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a skirt of any of the usual styles or patterns having a placket B the edges of which may or may not have longitudinally disposed sheaths or pockets C to receive the closure plates of the placket fastener as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will be understood that the skirt pattern and placket formation constitutes no part of my presentinvention, and that the placket closer embodying my invention as I will now proceed to describe the same, may be used with any placket opening of which I am at the present time aware.

The embodiment of the present invention comprises two strips or plates 1, 1, of re- I g I silient sheet metal, each of which is adapted to be arranged adjacent, and be secured to the longitudinal edges of the placket opening, said plates being perforated, as at 2, through which a thread may be passed in sewing the plates in place. These plates are pivotally connected at their lower ends by an improved pivotal connection which will be fully described hereinafter.

At the upper portion of each of the plates 1, 1, is pivotally connected one end of an outwardly extending arm 3, which is adapted when the plates are in applied position to project laterally therefrom and be secured to the waistband of the skirt, by stitches passing through the perforations I arm. The arms 3 are preferably formed of flexible metal so that they will bend to conform with the contour of the waist of the wearer whereby the waistband adjacent the placket is maintained smooth and neat in appearance.

Any suitable means or device may be employed for locking the upper ends of the plates 1 together to maintain the placket closed, but as a convenient way of accomplishing the desired result, I provide one of said plates 1 with a headed stud 6 and the other with a key-hole slot 7 adapted to receive said stud. The arm 3 pivoted to the plate 1 having the key-hole slot 7, is also formed with a similar slot 8 which when the parts are in proper position, registers with the first mentioned slot to permit ready access of the headed stud 6 thereto.

I will now proceed to describe the means devised by me for pivotally and detachably connecting the lower ends of the plates 1, 1. As will be apparent, in cases where the ed es of the placket opening are provided with pockets 0 to receive the plates 1, 1, the said plates could not be placed in the pockets without being disconnected from each other and that some convenient means must be provided for connecting the plates after they are secured in place. In order to accomplish the result stated I provide one of said plates at its lower end portion with a raised boss 9, from the central portion of which projects a headed stud 10, designed to be received through an opening 11, in the lower end of the complementary plate 1. WVhen the plates 1, 1, are arranged so that the stud on one projects through the perforation in the other, I secure the same together by means of a spring washer comprising a concave body 12 of in said.

spring metal formed with a radial slot 13, to I receive the shank of the stud 10, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. At a point intermediate the ends of the slot 13, and adjacent the longitudinal edges of the same, the body of the washer is formed with oppositely disposed bosses 1 1 over which the head of the stud rides when passing to the end of the slot and which serve as stops to be engaged by said head to prevent accidental displacement of the washer. As above stated the peculiar slotted and concave form of the washer makes the same yielding or resilient, the purpose of this characteristic being to cause the same to be compressible, so that when the head of the stud engages said bosses, the latter may be moved down to permit the free passage of said head, the washer then resuming its normal position raises the bosses up to prevent outward passage of the head except when sufficient force is applied. It will be noted that the raised boss 9 heretofore mentioned performs an important function, that is, it serves as a spacing means to hold the plates 1, 1, apart a suflicient distance to accommodate the thickness of the cloth of the skirt. This is an important feature in that it provides an efficient and an extremely simple means for effecting the purpose stated without the serious deformation of the plates or the interposition of washers, as is usual.

In applying the device to the placket, if pockets 0 are employed as above described, the plates 1, 1 are disconnected and are inserted in the respective pockets and pushed into place therein until the lower ends of said plates project below the ends of said pockets, said pockets being open at their lower portions. The headed stud 10 is then passed through the perforation 11 in the other plate, and the spring locking washer is engaged therewith. The plates may then be sewed to the fabric of the skirt, and the arms 3, 3, be likewise attached to the waistband as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The parts being all made from flexible material will readily conform to the form of the wearer, the weight of the skirt being sufficient to cause the plate 1, 1, to assume the desired curvature.

What I claim is 1. A placket closer comprising complemental plates adapted to be secured to the edges of the placket, and a pivoted and detachable connection for said plates comprising a headed stud carried by one plate adapted to project through an opening in the other plate, a removable spring locking washer engaging the head of said stud to prevent removal thereof from said opening, and means integral with the washer and engaging the stud to prevent displacement of the washer.

2. A placket closer comprising complemental plates adapted to be secured to the edges of the placket, and a pivotal and detachable connection for said plates com prising a headed stud carried by one plate adapted to project through an opening in the other plate, a spring washer having a slot to receive the shank of the stud and engaging the head of the same to prevent the removal of said stud means engaging the stud and washer to prevent displacement of the washer.

3. A placket closer, comprising complemental plates adapted to be secured to the edges of a placket, and a pivotal and detachable connection for said plates, comprising a headed stud carried by one plate adapted to project through an opening in the other plate, and a spring washer having a slot to receive the shank of the stud and having bosses adapted to engage the head to prevent displacement of the washer.

1. A placket closer comprising complemental plates adapted to be secured to the edges of a placket, means for pivotally conneeting said plates at one end to each other, and a spacing boss stamped up from one of the plates and located adjacent the pivotal connection to hold the plates separated.

5. A placket closer, comprising complemental plates adapted to be secured to the edges of a placket, a pivotal and detachable connection for said plates, comprising a headed stud on one of said plates adapted to be projected through an opening in the other plate and a concave, slotted spring washer adapted to receive the stud within its slot, and means integral with the washer and engaging the stud to prevent displacement of the washer.

6. A placket closer, comprising complemental plates adapted to be secured to the edges of a placket, a pin or stud pivotally connecting the ends of said plates, and an annular spacing boss pressed from one of said plates and disposed concentric with the pin or stud and between the plates to hold the same separated.

7. A placket closer comprising complemental plates adapted to be secured to the edges of a placket, a pivotal and detachable connection for said plates, comprising a headed stud on one of said plates adapted to be projected through an aperture in the other plate, and a concave, slotted spring washer adapted to receive the stud within its slot, and integral bosses on the washer to engage the stud to prevent displacement of the washer.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. VALENTINE.

Vitnesses M. C. LOVING, J. F. LEONARD.

from said slot, and 

